A Nebraskan's View

Monday, February 1, 2010 THE ROAD AHEAD By Senator Ben Nelson Last week’s State of the Union Address was encouraging about the direction of the country, but also focused on the hard work that must be done to keep the country on track. Before the speech, I hoped that the President would discuss the issue most on the minds of Nebraskans: how to keep the economic recovery going and create new jobs. I was glad to hear the President spend the majority of the speech on his plans for the economy. Jobs Key to Growth The President pointed out not only the problems he inherited, but what we can do to get out of the problems we’re in. Clearly, employment and jobs are going to be a big part of it. We need to make sure that our taxes are appropriate, deductions are available for small businesses to expand, and that we can export more of our products. That’s a very important part of making sure that our economy will strengthen over time and that there will be more jobs here at home. Whether it’s agricultural products or other manufactured products, the more we export the more jobs we’ll support here at home. Hold the Line on Spending The President made it very clear that spending must come down and that if Congress gets out of control with spending, he’ll use his veto pen. I applaud his focus on reducing spending. As a former Nebraska governor, I vetoed legislation and spending when I thought the Legislature had exceeded its bounds and I hope the President will hold true to that promise. I hope it’s not necessary, but if it is, I hope he’ll do it. I also support the spending freeze. It could save $250 billion in the next 10 years, which would help cut the deficit. This one step alone can’t get us out of the budget hole we’re in – but as I’ve always said, the first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging. As the Chairman of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, which handles the spending bill that funds the operations of Congress, the Capitol security force and the investigative arm of Congress, I will do my part to hold spending down and make sure that Congress tightens its belt, just like families across Nebraska. It’s one way I can personally make sure that spending stays restrained. Americans Want Congress to Work Together I also think the President made it clear it’s time for us to come together. The people across America – and I know in Nebraska it’s true – are tired of the bickering and the fighting and the partisanship. We really do need to move beyond the partisan divide. That kind of reaching out to Republicans and Democrats alike is extremely important for the future of this country. It’s a very difficult challenge ahead and things are not going to turn around overnight, but I’m encouraged. To turn around our economy and to create jobs, it’s going to require bipartisanship. It’s going to require people working together and less division across this country. I look forward to working with members of both parties to help keep our country on the right track.